Scoop fork



June 13, 1967 J. E. COLEMAN 3,325,023 I SCOOP FORK Original Filed July 11, 1963 United States Patent July 11, 1963. This application July 19, 1965, Ser. No.

Claims. or. 214-145 The present invention relates to mechanically operated fork lift trucks. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus which converts a mechanically operated scoop shovel or similar device into a mechanically operated fork lift truck.

In the field of material handling, it has heretofore been customary and necessary to use a mechanically operated fork lift truck to lift and move bundled or palletized shipments or large heavy objects, and a mechanically operated scoop shovel or similar device to lift and move materials in bulk. Moreover, lateral adjustment of the pronglike support members of a conventional mechanically operated fork lift truck has heretofore been difficult or impossible, thus rendering the fork lift useless with small materials.

One object of the invention is to permit a mechanically operated scoop shovel or similar device to be quickly and easily converted into a mechanically operated fork lift truck by merely attaching the apparatus of my invention to the forward leading edge of a mechanically operated scoop shovel.

Another object is to permit a mechanically operated scoop shovel or similar device to be quickly and easily adapted to lift and move loads of various sizesby adjusting the lifting prongs of the scoop fork laterally along the leading edge of the mechanically operated scoop shovel or similar device.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of my new scoop fork will be apparent from the following description of my invention.

My new apparatus for converting a power or mechanically operated scoop shovel to a mechanically operated fork lift comprises at least two scoop fork members adapted to be secured to the bottom of the scoop of a mechanically operated scoop shovel at the leading edge thereof. Each scoop fork member comprises a forwardly extending prong port-ion adapted to be inserted beneath a load to be lifted, a rearwardly extending lower clamping lip portion in line with and rigidly connected to the rearward end of the prong portion, a rearwardly extending upper clamping lip portion disposed directly above and substantially parallel to the lower clamping lip portion, and a clamping lip connector portion rigidly connecting the upper clamping lip port-ion to the lower clamping lip portion, the clamping lip connector portion is rigidly secured to the forward end of the upper clamping lip portion and to the lower clamping lip portion at the point where the lower clamping lip portion is rigidly connected to the prong portion. The clamping lip connector portion is disposed at an acute angle with respect to the lower clamping lip portion of the scoop fork member so that the rearward surface of the clamping lip connector portion and the upper surface of the lower clamping lip portion form a wedge shaped scoop received recess adapted to receive the leading edge of the bottom of the mechanically operated scoop. The two substantially parallel clamping lip portions are spaced apart a distance such that the leading edge of the bottom of the scoop can be received therebetween, and clamping means are provided for firmly securing the scoop fork member to the lower leading edge at the bottom of a scoop shovel.

My new scoop fork apparatus will be better understood Patented June 13, 1967 from the following description thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawing of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mechanically operated scoop shovel having two scoop fork members of my invention attached thereto, the resulting scoop fork arrangemefirt being shown about to pick up a load mounted on a pa et;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the scoop fork arrangement of FIG. 1 placing the palletized load on a vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a single scoop fork member of an advantageous embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modified embodiment of the scoop fork member of my invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of another modification of the scoop fork of my invention that is adapted to lift a load of masonry blocks; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view along line 77 of FIG. 6.

As shown best in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and especially in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the preferred embodiment of the scoop fork of my invention comprises at least two scoop fork members 10 that are adapted to be secured to the leading edge of the bottom of the scoop 30 of a conventional mechanically operated scoop shovel. Each scoop fork member 10 comprises a forwardly extending prong portion 26 adapted to be inserted beneath a load to be lifted, a rearwardly extending upper clamping lip portion 12 and a rearwardly extending lower clamping lip portion 14, the two rearwardly extending clamping lip portions being rigidly connected together by a clamping lip connector portion 16 as shown clearly in the drawing. The lower clamping lip portion 14 is disposed directly -in line with and is rigidly connected to the rearward end of the prong portion 26, and the rearwardly extending upper clamping lip portion 12 is disposed directly above and substantially parallel to, and is spaced slightly apart from the lower. clamping lip portion 14 so that the leading edge of the bottom of the scoop 30 can be received in the space between the two clamping lip portions. The clamping lip connector portion 16 is disposed at an acute angle to the lower clamping lip portion 14 so that the rearward surface of the clamping lip connector portion 16 and the upper surface of the lower clamping lip portion 14 comprise a wedge-shaped scoop-receiving recess 28 into which the leading edge of the bottom scoop 30 can be securely wedged as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing.

Means are provided for firmly securing the clamping lip portions 12 and 14 of each scoop fork member 10 to the lower leading edge of the scoop 30. In the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in FIGS. 1-4, the clamping means comprise at least two threaded clamping members 18 which securely fasten the scoop fork mem-. ber to the bottom of the scoop 30 as shown in FIG. 4. Lock nuts 20 are advantageously provided on the threaded clamping members 18 to prevent these members from becoming loose in use. In addition, the prong portion 26 of scoop fork 10' is advantageously tapered as indicated at reference numeral 22, and the forward or pilot end of prong 26 is rounded as indicated at reference numeral 24, to facilitate the insertion of the prong portion of the scoop fork member underneath the load to be lifted.

To use my new apparatus, the two scoop fork members 10 are mounted on and secured to the leading edge of the bottom of the scoop 30 as shown clearly in FIGS. 1 and 4, and the prong portion 26 of each scoop fork member is inserted underneath palletized load 38 in the manner known in the art. The palletized load 38 is supported by the prongs 26 of the scoop fork members 10 and is lifted by means of the hydraulic cylinders 32 and arms 36 in the known manner so that the load can be moved to a new location such, for example, as the vehicle 42 shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing.

In the modified embodiment of my scoop fork member vided with threaded clamping members, the scoop fork member being firmly secured to the leading edge of the scope 30 by the combined effect of the wedging of the leading edge of the scoop 30 into the wedge shaped recess 28 and of the weight of the load 38, indicated by the arrow '44 in FIG. 5, which forces the lug upwardly into firm frictional engagement with the under surface of the bottom of the scoop 30, as indicated by the arrow 46 in FIG. 5.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in FIG. 6, the scoop fork 50 comprises a plurality of laterally spaced prong portions 60 that are integrally formed with a laterally extended upper clamping lip 52 and a laterally extended lower clamping lip portion 54, the two clamping lip portions being rigidly connected together by clamping lip connector portion 56. The scoop fork 50 is advantageously secured to the bottom of the scoop 30 by means of threaded clamping members 58 which extend through the upper clamping lip portion 52 and bear against the upper surface of the scoop 30. The prong portions 60 are advantageously laterally spaced a distance such that they can be inserted in the longitudinal passages formed in masonry blocks, such as the load of masonry blocks 70 shown in FIG. 6.

In view of the novel design and construction of the scoop fork of my invention, my new device may be produced at comparatively low cost from steel stock, or the like, and it may be used to convert conventional mechanically operated scoop shovels into versatile fork lifts without the substantial investment in new equipment that otherwise would be required.

From the foregoing description of my new scoop fork it will be clearly seen that I have made an important contribution to the art to which my invention relates.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for converting a mechanically operated scoop shovel into a mechanically operated fork lift which comprises two scoop fork members adapted to be secured to the leading edge of the imperforate bottom of the unmodified scoop of a conventional mechanically operated scoop shovel adjacent the leading edge of said scoop, each scoop fork member comprising a fonwardly extending prong portion adapted to be inserted beneath a load to be lifted, a rearwardly extending lower clamping lip portion in line with and rigidly connected to the rearward end of the prong portion, a rearwardly extending upper clamping lip portion disposed directly above and substantially parallel to the lower clamping lip portion, said clamping lip portions being rigidly connected together by a clamping lip connector portion rigidly secured to the forward end of said upper clamping lip portion and to the lower clamping lip portion at the point where the lower clamping lip portion is rigidly connected to the prong portion, said clamping lip connector portion being disposed at an acute angle to the lower clamping lip portion so that the rearward surface of the clamping lip portion and the upper surface of the lower clamping lip portion form a wedge-shaped scoop-receiving recess, the two substantially parallel clamping lip portions being spaced apart a distance such that the leading edge of the bottom of the scoop can be received therebetween, and clamping means adapted to engage the adjacent surface of the imperforate bottom of the unmodified scoop and thereby to secure the clamping lip portions of the scoop fork member firmly to the leading edge of the scoop of said conventional scoop shovel.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the clamping lip portions are integrally formed With the prong portion and the clamping lip connector portion of the scoop fork member.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the clamping means comprises at least one threaded member extending through the upper clamping lip portion and adapted to engage the upper surface of the bottom of a scoop shovel.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a plurality of laterally spaced prong portions are rigidly secured to the forward edge of a laterally extended lower clamping lip portion at the point where the lower clamping lip portion is rigidly connected to a laterally extended clamping lip connector portion.

5. Apparatus for converting a mechanically operated scoop shovel into a mechanically operated fork lift which comprises two scoop fork members adapted to be secured to the imperforate bottom of the scoop of a conventional mechanically operated scoop shovel adjacent the leading edge of said scoop, each scoop fork member comprising a forwardly extending prong portion adapted to be inserted beneath a load to be lifted, a rearwardly extending lower clamping lip portion in line with and rigidly connected to the rearward end of the prong portion, a rearwardly extending upper clamping lip portion disposed directly above and substantially parallel to the lower clamping lip portion, said clamping lip portions being rigidly connected together by a clamping lip connector portion rigidly secured to the forward end of said upper clamping lip portion and to the lower clamping lip portion at the point where the lower clamping lip portion is rigidly connected to the prong portion, said clamping lip connector portionv being disposed at an acute angle to the lower clamping lip portion so that the rearward surface of the clamping lip portion and the upper surface of the lower clamping lip portion form a wedge-shaped scoop-receiving recess, the two substantially parallel clamping lip portions being spaced apart a distance such that the leading edge of the bottom of the scoop can be received therebetween, and clamping means adapted to secure the clamping lip portions of the scoop fork member firmly to the leading edge of the scoop of a scoop shovel, said clamping means comprising a lug formed on the upper surface at the rearward end of the lower clamping lip portion of the scoop fork member, said lug being adapted to engage the under surface of the bottom of said conventional scoop shovel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,690,835 11/1928 Ratkorvski 37141 1,856,930 5/1932 Robin 37-142 2,473,505 6/1949 Brock 214- X 2,612,280 9/1952 Stueland 2l4-145 2,847,131 8/1958 Miller 214-731 X HUGO O. SOHULZ, Primary Examiner, 

1. APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING A MECHANICALLY OPERATED SCOOP SHOVEL INTO A MECHANICALLY OPERATED FORK LIFT WHICH COMPRISES TWO SCOOP FORK MEMBERS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE IMPERFORATE BOTTOM OF THE UNMODIFIED SCOOP OF A CONVENTIONAL MECHANICALLY OPERATED SCOOP SHOVEL ADJACENT THE LEADING EDGE OF SAID SCOOP, EACH SCOOP FORK MEMBER COMPRISING A FORWARDLY EXTENDING PRONG PORTION ADAPTED TO BE INSERTED BENEATH A LOAD TO BE LIFTED, A REARWARDLY EXTENDING LOWER CLAMPING LIP PORTION IN LINE WITH AND RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE REARWARD END OF THE PRONG PORTION, A REARWARDLY EXTENDING UPPER CLAMPING LIP PORTION DISPOSED DIRECTLY ABOVE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LOWER CLAMPING LIP PORTION, SAID CLAMPING LIP PORTIONS BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED TOGETHER BY A CLAMPING LIP CONNECTOR PORTION RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE FORWARD END OF SAID UPPER CLAMPING LIP PORTION AND TO THE LOWER CLAMPING LIP PORTION AT THE POINT WHERE THE LOWER CLAMPING LIP PORTION IS RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE PRONG PORTION, SAID CLAMPING LIP CONNECTOR PORTION BEING DISPOSED AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE LOWER CLAMPING LIP PORTION SO THAT THE REARWARD SURFACE OF THE CLAMPING LIP PORTION AND THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE LOWER CLAMPING LIP PORTION FORM A WEDGE-SHAPED SCOOP-RECEIVER RECESS, THE TWO SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CLAMPING LIP PORTIONS BEING SPACED APART A DISTANCE SUCH THAT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SCOOP CAN BE RECEIVED THEREBETWEEN, AND CLAMPING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE IMPERFORATE BOTTOM OF THE UNMODIFIED SCOOP AND THEREBY TO SECURE THE CLAMPING LIP PORTIONS OF THE SCOOP FORK MEMBER FIRMLY TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE SCOOP OF SAID CONVENTIONAL SCOOP SHOVEL. 